Subscribers
to du’s mobile and fixed line services in the UAE are now able to access Skype
to make calls to mobile phones and landlines.
While
it is not clear whether a ban on the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
services has been lifted, users have been able to easily access and download
the service, which has previously been banned in the UAE.
Du
has previously said it will launch VoIP, but it is unclear when this will
happen. The operator declined to comment when contacted by Arabian Business.
Both
du and Etisalat are licensed to provide VoIP but both operators have yet to
offer services in a bid to try to maximise earnings from conventional calls.
Despite the ban, the UAE’s largely expat population has continued to use the
service, either on their smartphone devices or internet shops.
Several
reports in the last year have indicated that operators may be coming around to the
idea of offering VoIP services. Etisalat’s chief commercial officer said in
April that the operator would offer internet-based phone calls by the end of
the second quarter of the year although no official announcement has been made
since.
Du
and BlackBerry confirmed last month that VoIP and internet video testing has
begun on the Blackberry 10.
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